The present invention relates to a submarine signaling device and more particularly to a signaling device, containing one or more parachute flares, which is launched from a submerged submarine.
Pyrotechnic signals are used to indicate the presence of a submerged submarine to a surface ship. A smoke device provides a better signal during daytime and a flare provides a better signal at night. In order to eliminate the need for having two types of signals, frequently a signaling device is made that contains both a smoke charge and a flare charge.
In one type of signaling device, the signal rises to the surface and floats while burning. The range of visibility for such surface flares is about 2 or 3 miles. One such surface floating signal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,186, entitled, "Submarine Signal Fuze", which issued Aug. 14, 1979, to Bobby D. Beatty, Russel D. Daniel and Billy J. Humerickhouse. This device is comprised of a fuze body and a tube that contains both a smoke composition and a flare composition. A transfer composition is placed between the smoke composition and the flare composition to facilitate the ignition of the flare composition after the smoke composition has been burned. The smoke composition is ignited by an electrical squib which is detonated by voltage from a sea water battery which is sealed from sea water until a valve opens to permit entry of water into the fuze. An open circuit is provided between the battery and leads of the squib and, in addition, the squib leads are shorted. The opening of a valve to permit entry of sea water into a fuze causes the short to be removed and closes the circuit between the battery and the squib.
In another type of signaling device, the signal rises to the surface and then a propellant charge is ignited to launch a parachute flare. The range of visibility for such signals is materially increased over surface type signals and such aerial signal can be seen up to 5 miles. One such aerial flare is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,849, which issued Jan. 3, 1961, to Harold R. Joiner and is entitled, "Submarine Signaling Device". In this device, a bellows is provided to initiate firing pin action to detonate a percussion cap which ignites a delay charge which, in turn, ignites a pyrotechnic composition.